Synchronizing device



June 21, 1960 J. J. LOMBARDI 2,942,246

SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1958 I VOLUME EXFANDING 'mmnslzmwozu L f 2 INVENTOR.

(JOSEPH J1 04164120/ W f Jaw/W95 United States Patent SYNCHRONIZINGDEVICE Joseph J. Lombardi, 1'6724 Addison St., Encino, Calif.

Filed Aug. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 755,547

9 Claims. (cram-21s v This invention relates to devices for creatingsound effects, and more particularly to a unique device which utilizessound to simultaneously create effects associated with an activity thatcreated the sound.

An act or a scene in a play or motion picture may involve the firing ofa gun, and simultaneously showing the effect thereof. For example, partof the bark of a tree may be splintered, or a bottle may be broken.

When the script requires such effects to be shown simultaneously withthe action of firing, the problem created is one of synchronizing theeffects with the gunfire. This problem arises because the actor firingthe gun must use blanks.

The effect to be established has heretofore been accomplished in variousways. One procedure involves the use of an expert marksman locatedoffstage, whose-task is to fire a real bullet at the desired object, andto fire at the exact moment the actor fires the blanks.

This arrangement is impractical because the marksman often fails to fireinsynchronism with the actor. "Where a film is being made, severalre-takes are often necessary before the desired results are achieved.This procedure adds'consider'ably to the cost of making amotion picture,and may be so prohibitive as to call for a decision to forego makingthat particular scene.

Another procedure involves the use of small explosive device. formanifesting an eifect associated with sound, simultaneously with theoccurrence of the sound.

A further object of this invention is to provide electromagneticmeans'for igniting an explosive charge in response to sounds. havingpredetermined characteristics.

Yet another object of this invention to provide means responsive to agun shot to simultaneously establish the effect of a bullet at a remotepoint.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a device forsynchronizing a multiplicity of eifects of I bullets striking variousobjects with the fining of respective blank cartridges. 1

charges, or squibs, placed in the scenery at the desired locations. Onemethod for causing the squib to function at the correct monienthas' beento wire the actor so that a switch for igniting the squib is actuated bythe actor when he fireshis blank cartridge. To efiect this, wires areled through the actors clothing to a control circuit located out ofcamera range. When the actor squeezes the trigger, thecircuit is closedto set off the squib. I

This last procedure is objectionable because it obviously hinders theactors movements. He must purposely limit not be revealed, and so hewillnot sever the lines. Accordingly, his movements are unnatural, andappear to be so in the film.

Where ajplay is. being performed before an'audience,

. his movements so that the presence'of thelines will the hit, the same'objections are present, of course. But,

since these scenes are shown separately, the sounds can be, dubbed in.process of inserting thedesired sound effects onto a sound track is timeconsuming andrtherefore, objectionably expensive.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for accuratelysynchronizing a sound and effects created thereby, without resorting tothe use of any human agency. i

It is another object of thisinvention to' provide a However, and as iswell known, the

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from the following description, taken in conjunction withtheaccompanying drawing of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in which:'

Figure l is aperspective view of a scene wherein an actor fires a gun atvarious points adjacent another actor, combined with a schematic diagramof squibs located at such points and ofistage synchronizing means toignite a respective squib each time the gun is fired; and

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the synchronizing means, showing howthe sounds" of gunfire actuate a relay to ignite the squibs.successively.

Referring to Figured, there is shown a scene wherein an actor 10 isstanding in front of a hitching post 11, behind whicha tree 12 islocated. A squib 14 is located within thetree 12 to the left of theactor 10, so as to cause a portion of the bark of the tree to besplintered when the squib is ignited. Similarly, a squib 15 is embeddedin the front surface of the top rail 16 of the hitching post 11, also tothe left of the actor 10;

A third squib 17 is embedded in the top of the rail 16 to theright ofthe actor 10, and a bottle 18 is set on the rail directly over the squib17. The bottle willbe broken when this squib is ignited.

Still another squib. 19 is embedded in the ground adjacerit the actorsleft foot. When the squib 19 is ignited, dirt will be kicked up.

Each of the squibs 14, 15, 17 and 19 is designed to provide the effectof a bullet striking its location. Another actor 20 faces the actor 10with a drawn gun 21 containing blank cartridges. Assuming the scriptcalls forthe actor 2010 fire successively toward the bottle 18, thetree' 12, the upper rail 16 to the left of the actor 10, and the groundadjacent the actors foot, it is the purpose of this invention to ignitethe squibs 17, 14, 15 and 19, in that order, simultaneously withrespective'firings of the gun 21.

The squibs 14, 15, 17 and 19 are connected through wiring hidden in theset, as indicated at 22, 23, 24 and ZS/such wiring being led fromtheyset and connected,- as through plug connectors indicatedat 26, 27,28, 29, to a squib control circuit 30. The control circuit is set intooperation by the output of an amplifier 31, which develops controlvoltages inresponseto sounds of gunfire picked up by a microphone 32coupled thereto. How this is accomplished will now be explained withreference to Figure 2'. I

Referring to Figure 2, thesquibs 17, 14, 15 and 19 are each connected toa respective terminal of a rotary switching device, such as amultiple-pole relay 33. As indicated schematically, the associated plugconnectors 28, 26,27 and 29 are. arranged so the contact arm 34 will beconnected successively to the squibs 17, 14, 15 and 19. As shown, thecontact arm is normally at a stop position,

" indicated at 35.

The relay control coil 36 is energized, upon each firing, to advance thecontact arm 34 and cause a respective squib to be ignited to therebyprovide the desired effect. To this end, the amplifier 31 is adapted toprovide .an output wherein loud sounds are emphasized; for this purpose,

the amplifier 31 may be one having volume expansion characteristics.

As is well known, volume expander circuits are often used, as inphonograph circuits, to provide an output wherein loud sounds areemphasized. In other words, large voltages which represent loud soundsare made even larger in the output, whereas voltages representing soundsof moderate intensity or loudness are not accentuated.

This invention provides a relay 42in the output of the amplifier 31. Thecontrol coil 43 of such relay is designed to be energized only in thepresence of output voltages which correspond to very loud sounds, e.g.,sounds created by the firing of blank cartridges. When the relay 42 isenergized its movable arm 44 engages a contact 45 to complete thecircuit for energizing the control'coil 36. The control coil 36 isenergized through a battery 46 and a switch 47. For the purpose of thisinvention, the switch 47 is preferably a three-position switch, themovable arm or contact 48 of which can be placed in one of threepositions F (Fire), Off or T (Test). The F and T contacts are directlyconnected as shown. One end of the control coil 36 is connected, as at49 to the vcontacts P and T of the switch 47. The other end of the coil36 is connected through a switch 50 .to the movablearm 44 of the relay42, as through connections 51 and 52.

' The battery 46 is connected between the movable contacts 48 of theswitch 47 and the'fixed .contact 45 ;of the relay 42. Thus, with themovable contact 48 .in the F 7 position, and the switch 50 closed,energization of the relay 42 permits the battery 46 to .energize thecoil 36, whereby to cause themovable arm 34 to move from .the stopposition 35 to the'first position in its travel, i.e., to be connectedto the squib 17 Ignition of the squibsis effected by connection of themovable arm v34 to a hattery .55. This is accomplished in a preferredmanner through the use of a single-pole, single throw switch "56 and athree-position .switch 57 which are connected between the battery 55 and'the mova'ble arm 34. i

The switch 57 is the same type as the switch 47, and similarly has threepositions,.'F, Off, and T. The movable contact 58 'of this switch is'connectedzto one terminal of the battery 55. With the movable contact58 in the F position, and theswitc'h56 closed, 'movementof the arm34'for connection to the squib 17 places the squib in a'c'lose'd circuitwith the battery to cause it .to ignite.

The energization of the relay 42 is momentary, since the shot whichcaused the'squib 17 to'be 'ignited is ashort term noise. Immediatelythereafter, .the control coil 43 is 'de-energized to permit its arm '44to be disengaged from the contact 45. The circuit 'isthen'in conditionfor an fecting ignition ofthe next squib 14. v

The .next shot will cause the relay coil 43 .to again be energized,sothat its armature 44 again engages'the contact 45. As above explained,this closes the Cil'citil. .in which the coil 36 and .the'battery46are'located whereupon the relay armature moves 'thearm 34.to-'the nextposition whereby the squib 14'is connectedin circuitwith the battery 72and fired. Successive'shots'will effect the same 'operationto cause thesquibs 15 and 19 .to be ignited.

This invention also incorporates'visual indications of the squibs whichhave been fired. To this end, ;a second arm 60 is adapted to be. moved"by the 'coil' 36'to successively engage a plurality of contacts towhich respective lamps or neon tubes 61,62, 63,64are connected. Asshown, each of the'neontubes is connected to a resistor 65,'an'd abattery 66 isconnected'betweenthe resistor 65 and the arm 67 of athree-position switch '68. The switch 68 has three contacts, F, OffandT, the oonta'ctsfF and T being directly connected to the arm 60, asindicatedat 69.

'Initially, the arm 60 isin a. stop position'70. .Thus, ,the arms34 and60 are movedinunison when the coil 36 is energized. With the arm '67. oftheswitch 68etigagingits F contact, movement of the arm 34 to effectignition of the squib 17 as above described is accompanied by movementof the arm 60 to connect the neon tube 61 in circuit with the battery66. Accordingly, illumination of the neon tube 61 signifies to theoperator that the squib 10 has fired. Successive shots to effectignition of the squibs 14, 15 and 19 will be accompanied by illuminationof thesuccessive neon tubes .62, 63 and 64 successively.

Preferably, the arm 60 carries an arcuate contact end, as indicated at71, designed so that it will span the contacts associated with the neontubes 61, .62, 6.3, 64. As the arm 60 moves to effect illumination ofthe neon tube 62, the contact end 71 also remains in engagement with thecontact previously engaged. Thus, as each squib is fired, its associatedvisual indicator is illuminated, and remains illuminated. Thisarrangement keeps the operator informed of the squibs that have beenfired; correlatively, the tubes which are not illuminated show how manysquibs remain to be fired.

The relay 33 is of the type which is adapted to be reset. That is, ifthe arm 34 is in engagement with any contact, energization of a resetcoil 72 will cause the arm 34 to be returned to engage the stop position35. To effect such operation, the reset coil is connected between theconnection 49 and the fixed contact 73 of a single-pole, single throwswitch 74. The movable contact 75 of the switch "74 is connected, as at76, to the negative terminal of the battery 46. When the switch 74'isclosed, and the arm 48 of the switch 47 is in the F or T position, thereset coil 72 is in circuit with the battery 46 and energized thereby toreturn the arm to the'stop position 35. Coincidentally, of course, thearm 60is returned to the stopposition 70.

' The switches 50, 74 and 56 are ganged, as indicated at 77, so that theswitches '50, 56 are closed, and the switch 74 is open, when the controlcoil 36 is to be energ'ized. When the reset coil is to be energized, theswitches '50, '56, 74 are thrown so as to close the switch 74 and openthe switches 50, 56. In this manner, there is no possibility that thecontrol coil 36 and the reset coil 72 .wilLbe simultaneously engaged.

The'switches 47, 5'7 and 68 are also ganged, as indicated at 78. Thus,the movable contacts 48, 58 and 67 are all placed in the F, OiPor Tpositions simultaneously. .As above explained, the F positions areselected to condition the coil 36 to be energized, the squibs tobeignited, and the neon tubes to'be illuminated.

The T positions are selected when it is desired to test the circuit. Insuch positions, the coil 36 is adapted to be energized for firing testshots, and the neon tubes will beillurninated as above described.However, the squibs will not'be ignited for the reason that the movablecontact ,58 .ofthe switch 57 intheT position is connectedtothearrnf34through a resistor 79 and ameter S0. The resistor '79insures ,that current flow will ,beinsuflicient to v.cause..,the squibs.toQignite. Meanwhile, deflections on themeter 8 0 indicatethat eachsquib is in working order.

-Provision is also made to operate the stepping'circuit manually. Tothisend, a normally open switch 81 is connected between the arm .44 and:fixed contact 45 ofthe relay-42. ,Rreferably, the,switch81 is of vthepush-button type. Z-When closed, theswitch 81, of course, efiects igitionpfithe .squibsin the same ,manner as operation of the relay42. v

This invention thus provides a unique sound synchronizingdevicewhichestablishes bullet effects simultaneonslywiththe firingof a gun. Nowires are attached to the .actor, t-huspermitting him freedom of action.He can -.execute .a:fast draw, twirl his gun or undertake any fancyaction. Elimination of wires to the actor results in a. tremendoussaving of time,.and of course eliminates the problem of .wires appearingonfilm ,or in view of an audience.

in the event of a misfire, the bullet effect will ,not beproducedby.tbis invention.' Thisis'in sharp contrast to prior artprocedures, wherein the ignition of a squib is effected as the actorundertakes to fire. If the gun does not go off, it is of coursenecessary to do a re-take. However, unlike the prior art procedures,this invention does not require replacement of a squib and scenery.

It is also apparent that this invention is readily adapted to operate inresponse to rapid firing, as with a machine gun. 7

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent that many modifications can be madeWithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, I do notintend that my invention shall be limited, except as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A synchronizing device for establishing respective effects with theoccurrence of different sounds comprising: a voltage source; means toestablish a predetermined effect associated with a respective sound uponbeing connected to the source; and means operable by the sounds toconnect the establishing means individually to the source in the orderin which the associated sounds occur.

2. A synchronizing device comprising: sound pick-up means; a voltagesource; respective means to establish predetermined effects upon beingconnected to the source; a relay for selectively connecting said sourceand the establishing means; and means connected to said pick-up means tooperate said relay upon the occurrence of each sound, and connect saidrespective means to the source in the order in which the associatedsounds occur.

3. A device for creating different effects in synchronism with differentloud sounds such as gunfire or the like, comprising: sound pick-upmeans; a voltage source; respective means to establish a predeterminedeffect upon being connected to the source; a relay for selectivelyconnecting the establishing means individually to the source; and meansconnected to said pick-up means to operate said relay upon theoccurrence of each sound.

4. A device for creating successive effects in synchronism withsuccessive gunshots comprising: a voltage source; a plurality ofexplosive elements, each adapted to create a desired effect upon beingconnected to said voltage source; a relay device adapted to connect saidelements to the voltage source in a predetermined order; and meansresponsive to each shot to actuate said relay device for connecting arespective element to the voltage source.

5. A device for creating successive effects in synchronism withsuccessive gunshots comprising: a voltage source; a plurality of squibelements, each adapted to create a desired effect upon being connectedto said voltage source; a relay device adapted to connect said elementsto the voltage source; means responsive to each shot to actuate saidrelay device for connecting a respective element to the voltage source;and means providing a visual indication coincidentally with theconnection of each element to the voltage source.

6. A device for creating successive effects in synchronism withsuccessive gunshots comprising: a voltage source; a plurality ofexplosive elements, each adapted to create a desired effect upon beingconnected to said voltage source; a first relay device adapted toconnect said elements to the voltage source; and means responsive toeach shot to actuate said first relay device for con necting arespective element to the voltage source, said means including a secondrelay device to connect said first relay device in circuit with thevoltage source.

7. A device for creating successive effects in synchronism withsuccessive gunshots comprising: a voltage source; a plurality ofexplosive elements, each adapted to create a desired effect upon beingconnected to said voltage source; a first relay device adapted toconnect said elements to the voltage source in a predetermined order; asecond relay device to connect said first relay device in circuit withthe voltage source; and sound pickup means responsive to each shot toactuate said second relay device to connect said first relay device incircuit with the voltage source.

8. A synchronizing device for creating successive effects in synchronismwith successive gunshots comprising: a plurality of squib elements, eachadapted to create a desired effect upon being ignited; a relay devicehaving a respective contact connected to each squib; a microphone topick up the gunshot sounds; amplifying means coupled to said microphone;a first voltage source to actuate said relay device; circuit-closingmeans operable by said amplifying means in the presence of each gunshotto effect operation of said relay device by said voltage source; and asecond voltage source connected by said relay device to a respectivesquib when said device is energized.

. 9. A synchronizing device for creating successive effects insynchronism with successive gunshots comprising: a plurality of squibelements, each adapted to create a desired effect upon being ignited; arelay device having a respective contact connected to each squib andhaving a contact arm to engage said contacts successively as said deviceis operated; a first voltage source connected to said arm to effectignition of a respective squib when said arm engages one of saidcontacts; a second voltage source for actuating said relay device; amicrophone to pick up the sounds of gunfire; amplifying means to developoutput voltages in response to the sounds of gunfire; and means operableby said voltages to effect operation of said relay device by said secondvoltage source.

Hayes et a1. Jan. 6, 1948 McCoy Apr. 29, 1958

